KHARTOUM, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's joint force said Saturday it had regained control of five areas in central Sudan's North Kordofan State following military operations against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The operations resulted in the recapture of the areas of Bara, Um Sayala, Um Garfa, Jabrat al-Sheikh and Al-Baraka from the RSF," the joint force, comprising the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), Darfur armed movements and allied forces, said in a statement.

The operations were part of a broader military plan to retake areas hit by fighting, the statement read, adding that the force would continue its campaign to prevent the RSF from regrouping.

There was no immediate comment from the RSF on the developments.

The three Kordofan states -- North, West and South Kordofan -- have witnessed sustained military escalation since October 2025.

Sudan has been mired in an armed conflict between the SAF and the RSF since mid-April 2023, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions both domestically and abroad. ■